One of the most successful girls’ basketball coaches in area history announced his resignation Thursday.

Kinston High School girls’ basketball coach Hubert Quinerly, who produced a sterling 87.2 winning percentage in his three-year tenure, broke the news to his team first.

He decided a week ago to move to Durham and support his family. He became engaged to Kayla Dove, who lives in the Durham area, on Mother’s Day this year and the couple has a child on the way.

“I’ve got a 6-year-old daughter and a baby on the way,” Quinerly told The Free Press Thursday. “I’m just trying to make sure that they’re taken care of; that’s the most important thing.”

Quinerly will keep his in-school suspension counselor post at Kinston until he finds an opening in the Triangle area. He said coaching opportunities elsewhere did not influence his decision to move.

He resigned as head coach of the girls’ basketball program so that his departure wouldn’t further surprise the team when it is time to head north; Quinerly wanted a new coach to be named well before the next school year began.

“Once I do get that opportunity to leave, I don’t want to be in a situation where I know I’m leaving but everyone doesn’t and I just up and leave,” he said. “That’s not fair for everybody else here. This is the right thing to do, and this is the right time to do it.”

Quinerly leaves Kinston owning a 75-11 overall head coaching record, going undefeated in regular-season conference play each year (34-0). He also led the Kinston girls to their first state championship, going 27-4 for the 2013 title. The Vikings reached the Eastern Regionals in each of Quinerly’s three seasons.

With several key players returning next year, the Vikings are likely to be state championship favorites.

He doesn’t feel like he’s turning his back on the team with his parting.

Page 2 of 3 - “I can’t say abandoning, that’s kind of tough,” Quinerly said, “but I know I am leaving behind some really good talent. I’ve always looked out for what’s best for my Kinston High family; it’s time for me to look out for my Quinerly family, and that’s important to me.”

He prides himself and coaching staff on sending four girls to play collegiately since taking over in 2011. Anshonee Addison (Brunswick Community College, 2014), Brittany Drumgoole (South Carolina State, 2014), Monique Lofton (Methodist University, 2013) and Tisha Dixon (North Carolina Central, 2012) moved on to the next level.

On Thursday morning, when he told his current team he resigned, he said they were shocked and “a lot of them probably didn’t see it coming.”

Kinston sophomore guard Shika Mason didn’t think Quinerly would because his adulation for the game wouldn’t allow it.

“We didn’t know what we were going in there for,” she said. “The look on his face, it’s like he didn’t even want to tell us, but we were the first to know. I’m going to miss Coach Q. Before I got there, he pushed me to do things I didn’t do.

“He actually made me grow as a player. I was really shocked because he told us he was leaving.”

Quinerly said he marinated on the decision for about a month and then spoke with Kinston Athletic Director Perry Tyndall.

“It’s tough,” said Tyndall, who is also the boys’ basketball coach, “but it’s part of life when people make decisions for their family. It’s tough but something we’ve got to do.”

Tyndall added that the group of girls Quinerly impacted will “understand he’s got a family.”

Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 and Jessika.Morgan@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan. Free Press correspondent Michael Moon contributed to this story.